


Not What We Signed Up For

by Seokhani



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Curses, Drinking, Fairy Tale Curses, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 02:21:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21590089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seokhani/pseuds/Seokhani
Summary: Someone on twitter mentioned that there were no fics where the other members get turned into children and then Jeongcheol have to work together to turn them back, while discovering their feelings for each other.So I figured I'd write one.Let's get it, boys.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 9
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ayeeee whaddup, it's ya boy
> 
> Yes I have four unfinished fics and now I'm writing another and it's just because I hate myself. I'll finish them all I swear! This one is going to be just a straight up crackhead mess so enjoy!

“Two weeks together? In a house? All of us?” Seungcheol squinted at his phone, reading the email.

Seungkwan groaned. “Yes, that’s what I said. You need some glasses or something.”

Seungcheol glared up at him. “Yeah, probably. But that’s beside the point. Who’s going to pay to rent this house?”

Seungkwan propped his head up on his palm, absent-mindedly stirring his ramen. It was the second week of December, the week of college finals. Normally, this would be the time that their little group of friends would part ways for the holidays, but this year was different, for some reason. They all had apartments and their own lives, so they had decided to stick around their college town until the new semester. “We don’t have to pay for it. Jun’s parents rented it for him so he wouldn’t have to be cooped up in his apartment for the holidays. They’re travelling out of the country anyway, so it’s not like he could go home if he wanted to.”

Seungcheol nodded. “Are you sure they’re okay with having thirteen very immature college-aged boys in their rental home?”

“Jun said it would be fine.” Seungkwan shrugged. “We just can’t destroy anything.” 

Seungcheol looked down at his sandwich. “I guess it would be kind of fun to be somewhere else for a while.”

Seokmin slid into the chair beside Seungkwan, loudly dropping his tray onto the table. Seungcheol grimaced. 

Seokmin yanked the top off of his salad. “How about it, Cheol? Coming with us?” He crammed some salad in his mouth, somehow still able to grin while chewing. 

“Yeah, I think I will,” he leaned back in his chair. “These finals were pretty tough, I should probably unwind some.” 

Seungcheol felt someone fall into the seat next to him. He turned to see Jeonghan lean forward, laying his head on the table. 

Seokmin chuckled. “Tough exam?”

Jeonghan nodded, his forehead squeaking against the table. “At least it’s over.”

Seungcheol smiled, watching him. Seungkwan elbowed Seokmin, just out of Seungcheol’s view. Jun flopped down on the other side of Seungkwan.

“That was fucking miserable, boys.”

Everyone murmured their agreement. Jun pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling through some messages. “The house is ready, we can check in whenever. Are you guys all finished with exams?”

Seokmin stabbed his salad. “I have one left, this afternoon.” 

Seungcheol nodded, zipping up his bag. “I have one this evening, and so does Jihoon. Then afterwards I’ll have to pack and stuff.”

Jun smiled. “Alright then. Let’s pack up tonight and head out there in the morning!” He stood up, pushing his chair in. “Good luck with your exams!”

\------------

Seungcheol leaned against his apartment door, fumbling for his keys. The exam had more-or-less kicked his ass, but at least now it was over. He jammed the key in the lock, stepping through the door into his safe haven, his space.

Except that Vernon was standing in the middle of it, a pair of boxers on his head. He was dancing to a rap song, playing from the phone that was in his hand. 

“AAAAAY COUPS!” he shouted, dredging up Seungcheol’s old high school nickname. Mingyu giggled from their living room couch, a red solo cup in his hand.

“You guys are drunk already?” Cheol pouted. “You didn’t even wait for me.”

Wonwoo stepped out of his room down the hall as Seungcheol slung his bag onto the other chair in the living room, the one not covered by Mingyu. “They’ve only been drinking for like thirty minutes, I honestly don’t know how they’ve managed to get this far or whose boxers those are.” Wonwoo pointed to Vernon’s head. “Hopefully they’re his own but who knows.”

Seungcheol shrugged. “At least you’re not already wasted, Wonwoo.” 

Mingyu giggled. “Oh no, he’s tanked. He can just talk real good.” 

“Ugh, you guys are the worst fucking roommates.” Seungcheol yanked the boxers off Vernon’s head as he walked by, tossing them into the nearby open suitcase. “You’re lucky I love you guys.” He opened the fridge, leaning down to get himself a beer. 

Wonwoo hiccuped, grinning. “So we’re going to the house tomorrow? All of us?”

Cheol took a long swig, closing his eyes and feeling relaxed for the first time all day. “Yeah, I’m pretty excited. It’ll be nice to get out of the apartment for a while.” 

Vernon grinned, a big drunk smile. “I bet that’s not the ooooooooonly reason.”

Wonwoo leaned back in his chair. “Ah leave him alone.”

Seungcheol prickled. “No, there’s no other reason! I would just like to get away.”

Mingyu snorted loudly. “Yeah, with Jeonghan!” Vernon wheeze-laughed, slowly sinking to the floor. Seungcheol settled on the floor beside Wonwoo’s feet. 

“Fuck both of you.”

Wonwoo patted his head. “They only tease you because they get a rise out of you.”

Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “I don’t like Jeonghan! He’s fucking annoying.” He took an angry sip of his beer. “And he thinks he knows everything.” 

Wonwoo chuckled. “And he flirts with you every chance he gets. You get all red and flustered every time.”

He scooted away from Wonwoo. “I thought you were better than these two.”

“I’m just calling it like I see it.” He shrugged. 

\-------------------

The next building over was a similar scene. Jihoon was the last one making the trek home, finally done with his exam. He tossed open his apartment door with a deep sigh. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Seokmin was dancing, standing upright on the couch. He had a beer in hand, mostly empty but what was left was probably all shaken up and disgusting. Down the hall, the bathroom door was open, two very obnoxious voices belting from it. Joshua was playing Just Dance in front of the TV, shaking his butt in the sexiest manner he possibly could, which isn’t really saying a lot. Jihoon dropped his bag. “You guys are the worst fucking roommates.”

He poured himself a shot of tequila before making his way down the hallway to whatever was going on in the bathroom. He rounded a corner just as the two voices hit a terrible high note. “Can you guys keep it-- what?”

Seungkwan was in the bathtub, his hair soaped up and bubbles all around him, singing some Twice song. Jeonghan stood outside the tub, shirtless, scrubbing Seungkwan’s hair. Jihoon rubbed his eyes; he was seriously too tired for this. “Please explain.”

Jeonghan turned to him, wobbling a little. “We started drinking half an hour ago and Seungkwan has already pounded eight shots and thrown up on both of us.” 

Jihoon sighed, throwing back the shot of tequila he’d made himself. He pulled himself up to sit on the bathroom counter. “I literally don’t want to know how that happened.” 

Jeonghan giggled and explained anyway. “I bet him five dollars he couldn’t do a handstand. He fell down twice but then he threw up on me when he stood back up, so really neither of us is a winner here.” He scrubbed Seungkwan’s hair, rolling it between his hands to make it stand straight up from the top of his head. “Who’s your favorite Little Rascal?”

Seungkwan laughed until he almost vomited again. Jihoon found himself cracking a smile. “It’s weird how you’re always the one taking care of us. Even though you’re usually the drunkest of us all.”

Jeonghan grinned. “I just hold it together better in a crisis than any of you amateurs.” 

Jihoon nodded. “You know something? You’re gonna make a really good dad.”

Jeonghan made a snorting, retching sound. “Absolutely goddamn not, I hate children.” 

Seungkwan reached up with two handfuls of bubbles, clapping them to the sides of Jeonghan’s face to make a beard. 

He looked up at Jihoon in defeat. “I’d like to amend my statement. I hate children and Seungkwan.”

\------------------

The next building over was a similar--

Oh no, actually it’s just Soonyoung running down the hallway in his underwear, trying to escape the wrath of Chan while Minghao and Jun stand out on the balcony, pretending not to know either of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *air horn sounds*

The next morning, Seungcheol sat at the kitchen table in his boxers, sipping his coffee. He’d barely managed to roll out of bed this morning, after all the drinking from last night; they’d ended up going over to Soonyoung’s. They all lived in the same apartment complex, so most free nights they all spent piled into someone’s living room. Last night was little more than a few flashes of memory, but he’d had a great time, if the throbbing of his head and the dishevelled state of his hair were anything to go on. 

_Lights down, loud music. Joshua was in the floor at his feet, giggling. Cheol sank down into Soonyoung’s lousy couch. He blinked, head spinning. The red cup in his hand was nearly empty, and what was left was basically pure alcohol. Why do they still let Jun make the jungle juice? Oh right, because he calls it Jun-gle juice and he laughs until he almost pees himself every time he says it._

_Cheol felt a smile spread across his mostly-numb face. His friends were all gathered in the living room, dancing and laughing. A few were out on the balcony and someone was laying down in the kitchen, but he was glad they were all together. He sighed: drinking always made him sappy. They all teased him for it and he pretended to be ashamed, but he wasn’t. Cheol was always pretty in touch with his emotions, and he was okay with that. He rolled his head back and forth across the couch._

_Suddenly the cup was gone from his hand and there was a weight on his lap. He looked up to see Jeonghan down the contents of his stolen cup before settling back against the arm of the couch, legs draped across Seungcheol’s lap. He grimaced, swallowing the bitter alcohol. “That was terrible, Cheollie.”_

_Seungcheol laughed. “Why do you think I hadn’t finished it yet?”_

_Jeonghan giggled, brushing the short strands of dark hair out of his eyes. “It’s been a long night.”_

_Cheol nodded. “I should probably head back to my apartment, go to bed. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.” Jeonghan’s weight on his lap was comforting; he impulsively brought his hand up to rest it on Jeonghan’s thigh. If he hadn’t been drunk, he probably would have second-guessed himself. But there’s something about a perfect night of drinking with his closest friends: there was nothing that could go wrong tonight._

_Jeonghan traced his finger over Cheol’s knuckles, smiling softly. “Yeah, I guess we do. You think you can put up with me for two whole weeks?”_

_Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “Depends on how obnoxious you decide to be.” He grinned though. Drunk Seungcheol is bad at lying._

_Jeonghan smiled and leaned into his chest. He brought his lips close to Cheol’s ear. “Well that sucks, because I plan on being as obnoxious as possible.” Seungcheol felt warmth blossoming through his chest, but maybe that was just the alcohol settling in. He looked up and caught Jeonghan’s eyes. They should have been mischievous, but they weren’t. He looked down at Cheol with an unreadable expression. A quiet moment passed between them. Cheol felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Jeonghan tilted his head, his eyes dropping to Seungcheol’s lips. Was this going to finally happen?_

_Of course not. Just as Jeonghan maybe started to lean in, another body fell into his lap, crushing Cheol beneath both of their weights. Soonyoung lolled his head up to look at both of them. “You guys hrrlg bessst.” He slurred, a dopey smile spread across his face._

Seungcheol rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. Why couldn’t he have forgotten that? He’s such a sap when he’s drunk. What if they had kissed? Then he’d have to admit he has feelings for Jeonghan, blah blah blah. It’s not like he hid it that well anyway, but at least he had plausible deniability. They’d all graduate soon anyway and go their separate ways, and then he could forget about Jeonghan. That would be easier than confessing and probably getting rejected, making their tight-knit friend group feel awkward for the rest of college. 

Vernon stumbled down the hallway, falling into the chair beside Seungcheol. He laid his head on the table, arms stretched out in front of him. Seungcheol threaded his fingers through his hair, something he knew Vernon loved. “Rough morning?”

Vernon laughed, still face-down. “I just threw up in the sink.”

Their front door rattled, someone jiggling a key. It swung open, Minghao on the other side. “Up and at ‘em, fuck faces.” He strolled into the living room, Soonyoung dragging behind him. Soonyoung pushed the door closed with his foot before sinking to his knees, and then fully face-down on their living room floor. 

Cheol sighed. “I guess I’ll go start packing my bag.”

Minghao waved his hand. “Nah no rush, we’re the only ones conscious in my apartment and we both know Soonyoung hasn’t packed shit.” 

He groaned from the floor, face still buried in carpet. Vernon sat up slowly.

“Hey at least I’m packed, I packed up last night. How is it that I’m the most responsible of all of us?”

Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah? Go get the vomit out of the sink.” 

Vernon grumbled and stood, shuffling to the bathroom. Minghao sank into the other seat beside Seungcheol. “How about you? How are you feeling?”

Cheol shrugged. “Hungover as fuck. I had way too much last night.”

Minghao smirked. “Yeah, it looked that way.”

Cheol glared. “Shut up. At least I made it home. I think Mingyu is still at your apartment.”

Minghao nodded. “He’s asleep in our bathtub.”

“I’m not surprised. He always likes to chase you around.” 

Hao chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “I know. I guess I have to admit I like it, just a little bit.” 

Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “Yeah, just a little bit.”

He grinned. “Hey at least I can admit I like the attention, unlike you. You looked pretty happy when Jeonghan was on your lap.”

Cheol looked down at his hands. Even if he seemed uninterested most of the time, nothing gets past Minghao. Seungcheol has always trusted him though, secretly a little more even than he trusts the others. He felt like he could be honest with him. “Yeah, maybe I do. It’s not like it makes a difference.”

Minghao looked down the hallway, watching Wonwoo struggle with his suitcase. “You never know. Jeonghan has a soft spot for you.” He looked back to Cheol. “Even softer than he does for the rest of us, which is pretty damn soft.” 

Cheol grinned. “Yeah, that’s true. I guess I just don’t want to mess anything up, you know?”

Hao nodded. “I mean, why do you think I haven’t told Mingyu how I feel?” 

Cheol nodded too. It was hard, having all these feelings and nothing to do with them. Minghao understood, even if they rarely talked about it. Cheol knew he could rely on him. 

Wonwoo staggered down the hallway, pulling his suitcase behind him. It was half zipped, a sock hanging out of the top. “Can we fucking get this over with?”

\------------

Seungcheol stood behind his SUV, watching Jun load his suitcase. He pulled the back door down, slamming it shut once all their shit was stowed away.  
“Everyone ready?” he turned to the rest of the group. 

Chan was shoving his suitcase into the back of Mingyu’s van, which was piled high with their belongings. “Almost!”

Cheol ambled around to the driver’s side of his car, swinging the door open and sliding in. He pulled out his phone to send a text to Minghao, who would be riding in Mingyu’s car (obviously). 

_You ready for this?_

Dots appeared as Minghao typed. 

_Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. You?_

His fingers hovered over the screen. Finally he tapped out a message. 

_All I want is to get through this without making a goddamn fool of myself._

He tapped send. Everything was going to be alright. It was just two weeks after all, right? (Just between you and me, we both know he’s going to make a goddamn fool of himself.)

He sighed, putting on his seatbelt and starting the car. One of the back doors swung open, Jun rolling himself onto the seat. “Who else is riding with us?”

Cheol looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Jihoon is riding with us, and Soonyoung. I think one more person-”

He was cut off as the passenger door swung open, Jeonghan sliding into the passenger seat. He grinned at Seungcheol. “What? Can’t I ride with you?”

Seungcheol was caught between grinning and grimacing. A flurry of emotions ran through his gut. Jeonghan stared at him. “Of course you can, it’s no problem.”

Jeonghan grinned, evil. “Oh good.” He buckled himself in. 

He looked through the window at Mingyu, parked next to him. He gave him a toothy grin and a thumbs-up. Seungcheol laughed. “I guess we’re ready then.” He looked in the rearview again. Soonyoung and Jihoon had piled in, Jihoon forcing Soonyoung to take the middle seat. Soonyoung bounced, excited, the lap belt barely holding him down. Seungcheol couldn’t help but smile. 

“Alright boys, it’s gonna be a long two weeks. Everyone ready?” They all nodded, enthusiastic. Cheol threw the car in reverse. “Let’s hit it!”


	3. Chapter 3

“That’s it, just up ahead. Take this left.” Jun looked at his phone from the backseat, navigating to the house as Seungcheol drove. They drove down a street lined with small shops, a few people strolling along the sidewalk. It seemed much slower-paced than the college town they were used to. 

Seungcheol exhaled through his nose, taking it all in as he pulled up to the stoplight to turn onto their street. It was only about an hour and a half drive from their apartment, but he was starting to feel cramped and exhausted. Jeonghan was asleep in the passenger seat, and Soonyoung was also passed out in the back. 

Jun stared out the window. “Hey it looks like there’s a bakery over there!” 

Jihoon glanced out the other window. “And there’s a liquor store.” 

The light turned green and Cheol turned onto the street. They went up a hill, passing a few other houses on the left and right. Jun pointed past Cheol’s shoulder, at a house on the right. “1704, right there.” He pointed at a mailbox that sat at the end of a long driveway. The house was up on a small hill, just a short distance from the road. Seungcheol pulled the car up and parked in front of the driveway, Mingyu pulling up behind him. He shut the car off and leaned back in the seat, rolling his shoulders. 

Jeonghan stirred awake, stretching his arms and legs out as best he could in the small space. He turned to Seungcheol with a sleepy smile. “Thanks for driving us.”

He couldn’t help but grin, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipped at Jeonghan’s drowsy face. “No problem.”

They all piled out of the car, stretching and chattering (after Jihoon shook Soonyoung awake, it took a solid 30 seconds). Mingyu shaded his eyes, looking up at the house. “Holy shit Jun, this place is huge.” 

Jun tugged his bag out of the back of Seungcheol’s SUV before walking over to stand beside Mingyu. “Yeah, there’s seven bedrooms I think. Should be enough room for all of us.” 

Seungkwan pulled his suitcase up the walk in front of the house, stopping behind them. “Does that mean someone gets their own room?”

Mingyu shrugged. “I guess so. Should we wrestle for it?”

Jun shook his head. “Nah, either you or Cheol should get it, since you guys offered up your cars to drive us.” 

Mingyu rubbed the back of his neck, lowering his voice. “Actually, I was gonna ask Minghao to be my roommate.”

Jun rolled his eyes. “Not surprising. I guess it’s Cheol’s then.” Jun made his way to the porch, sliding open the keypad and typing in the code his parents had texted him. The door beeped and he swung it open, stepping inside. The others filtered in slowly, tugging their suitcases and bags. 

Seungcheol gasped a little as he stepped through the door. The place was enormous: the door opened to a wide front hall and a large staircase going up to the second floor. To the right was a huge living room with two sectional couches around a low coffee table. Giant windows at the back looked over the house’s deck, which had a marvelous view of the woods beyond. To the left of the entrance was a huge kitchen, well-lit and modern. Only a couple of them could cook worth a damn, but at least they could give it a try. 

Jihoon looked around, turning in a small circle. “It looks like something off of Terrace House.” 

Jun walked up to Seungcheol, clapping him on the shoulder. “Congrats, you get your own room.”

“Really? Why me?”

Jun shrugged. “We decided someone who drove should get it, and Mingyu would rather share, so it’s yours.” 

Cheol grinned, nodding and thanking him. He’d definitely entertained the idea of asking Jeonghan to share his room with him, but that would probably cause more trouble for himself in the end. He hiked his bag higher up on his shoulder and started up the stairs to his room. A relaxing vacation was just what he needed.

\-----------------

It was a little later in the day when Seokmin got bored. The other guys had unpacked their stuff, some were taking a shower or hanging out on the back deck. But not Seokmin. He wanted to explore. 

“Jihoon and Minghao went to the liquor store to pick up the stuff for tonight.” Chan was spread out on the couch, flipping through a magazine. “You could go try to catch up to them, they just left.” 

Seokmin tapped his foot, looking at the front door. “Nah, they never want to explore. I want to look around at the other shops and stuff. Will you go with me?”

Chan laid his magazine on his chest. “Nah, not today. I’m pretty tired.” 

Seokmin nodded. He wandered across the living room, pulling open the sliding glass door. Soonyoung and Seungkwan were laying on lounge chairs, basking in the sunlight. Seokmin stood over them, blocking out the sun. “Will you guys go on an adventure with me?”

\--------------------

They were walking down the main street, and Seokmin was happy. Soonyoung was chattering about the boba tea they’d just picked up in a shop not far from the house. They were now window-shopping, peering into different shops as they went. Seungkwan had run into a shoe store, admiring the handmade loafers they were selling. Seokmin paused, looking across the street while he waited for him. 

There was an odd store there; it was so small he almost didn’t notice it. It was nestled between an ice cream place and a barber shop, but the building was set a few feet back from the sidewalk. There was only a small sign on the front, which read “Fortune Palace” in a weird font. There were plants in the windowsill, bright flowers and long, creepy vines. He was immediately interested in finding out what that place was about.

Seungkwan emerged from the store, coming to stand beside Seokmin. “Please tell me not to spend half a month’s rent on shoes.” 

Seokmin turned to him, distracted. “Uh, yeah, don’t do that.” He pointed across the street. “Can we go see what that place is?”

Seungkwan scrunched up his nose. “I don’t know, are we trying to get our organs harvested?”

Soonyoung walked up behind them. “That looks like a great place to buy heroin and die.” 

Seokmin scoffed. “No, it looks cool. Look, there’s even a cat inside the door!” He pointed to the small orange cat, sitting inside the glass door of the shop. “Just give it a try with me?” He turned around, eyebrows turned up, face hopeful. 

Soonyoung sighed. They could never say no to Seokmin’s sad puppy face. “Alright, but if I die you have to explain it to my parents.”

Seungkwan rubbed the back of his neck. “And Seungcheol, he’d be so pissed if we died.”

Seokmin grinned. “Let’s go!” 

They crossed the street at the next streetlight, walking to the little shop. Up close, they could see that the outside was painted a dark purple and there were small trinkets in the window, like gems and a crystal ball. 

Seokmin pushed open the shop’s door, a chime ringing as he did so. They stepped into the place, which had dark walls and carpet. Soonyoung paled. “Oh god, this is it, this is where they’ll find my body.” There was a round table in the middle, with a pattern carved into the top. It had some small stools around it, topped with red velvet seats. The back of the room was sectioned off with heavy curtains, like a tacky magician’s shop. Seokmin grinned brightly, bending down to pet the cat he’d seen in the doorway.

Seungkwan looked around, examining all the decor. The walls were loaded with shelves holding various kinds of items. One shelf seemed to be just animal skulls, another was loaded with succulents. “Does anyone work here?”

Just then, the curtains at the back were tossed open to reveal the shop’s proprietor. “Welcome! You’ve stumbled into my palace, weary travelers!”

The guy was tall and skinny, with fluffy blond hair piled on top of his head. He wore a comically large magician’s hat and a heavy, long black velvet robe. He couldn’t have been much older than them, and he wore huge, round glasses that dominated his whole face. “Welcome to Jae’s Fortune Palace!” He shuffled over, sitting on one of the stools by the table. “Please, sit.”

The three of them pulled out the stools and sat, Seungkwan lowering himself down slowly as though the chair was going to bite him on the ass. Seokmin leaned forward, enraptured. “What do you do here, Jae?”

Jae leaned back, lifting his arms into the air and pausing for dramatic effect. “For a low, low fee, I provide a number of services! I can put a curse on your worst enemy, I can read your fortunes, I can enchant a forest spirit to bring you good luck! You guys look like students, yeah? I can bless you with good studying energy.” He leaned forward. “I can also file your taxes, I’m a notary public, and I can jailbreak your iPhone.” He dropped his arms, looking between the three of them. “I also offer love spells, and a couple of, uh, aphrodisiacs of varying strengths.” He winked. 

Soonyoung’s brow was furrowed, examining the guy closely. “Hey wait, I know you.” 

The guy turned, gritting his teeth before smiling brightly again. “Of course you do, I’m Jae the Magnificent!” He raised his hands again. “World-renowned magician and spinner of spells, teller of tales and-”

“Park Jaehyung? We went to elementary school together!” Soonyoung beamed. “I’d recognize you anywhere with those big glasses.”

Jae grimaced. “Ah, no, I come from a magical, mysterious plane of existence, I am over one thousand years old!”

Soonyoung turned to the others. “When we were in elementary school, his nickname was Chicken Little because he looked like-”

Jae’s fists hit the table. “Goddamnit Soonyoung, just let me have this.” 

He nodded, putting his hands in his lap and sitting up straight. “It’s really good to see you again,” he said in a loud whisper. 

“Okay so what can I do for you guys?” Jae slumped to the table, resting his chin in his palm. “Please, before Soonyoung remembers any other embarrassing stories.”

Seokmin turned to Seungkwan. “Anything stick out to you?”

Seungkwan’s eyes were alight with mischief. “What was that about love spells?”

Jae grinned, sitting up again. “What kind do you need? Is it a love interest for yourself?”

Seungkwan shook his head, chuckling. “No, it’s our adorably helpless dipshit friend. He’s head-over-heels in love with his best friend and no matter what we do, we can never get him to confess.” 

Jae stood, walking over to one of the shelves and pulling down a notebook. “Ah, I’m intrigued. And what about the other friend? Do they feel the same?”

Seokmin shrugged. “It’s hard to tell with him.” 

Soonyoung shook his head. “Oh no, he’s completely in love with Seungcheol too. He’ll never confess either, something along the lines of ‘Cheol’s too mature for me, he would never like me, I’m too irresponsible,’ blah blah blah.” Soonyoung did his best nasally Jeonghan impression. 

The other two looked at him, stunned. Seungkwan spoke up. “How the fuck do you know that?”

Soonyoung slurped loudly on his boba tea, looking between the two of them before answering. “Jeonghan tells me everything. He’s my best friend.” 

Seokmin turned to Seungkwan. “Did you know that?” 

Seungkwan shook his head. “No, Jeonghan’s kind of private about stuff.” 

Seokmin furrowed his eyebrows. "About some stuff maybe. We didn’t live together for even 24 hours before I saw him naked.”

Jae sat back down, flipping through the book. “Alright, two best friends, secretly in love with each other… Let’s see what I can do.” He flipped another page. “Ah, here we’ve got _Fake Relationship,_ not today. _Enemies to Lovers,_ that won’t work.” He flipped a few more pages. “What else? _Barista AU,_ not likely, _College AU,_ nah we’re already in one, I’m guessing neither of them have amnesia…” He flipped another page, tracing his finger across the words. “Oh… oh now this just might work.”

The boys leaned forward, but Jae snapped the book closed. “I’ve got it, the perfect scenario to make your friends confess their love. But this one comes with risks, so I need you to listen very carefully.” They nodded, all three of them listening closely. 

Jae stood, pacing in front of them. “Once I put this spell on your group, it can’t be undone, understand?” They nodded again. “The only way to break the spell is for each of the lovers to say the words “I love you,” in earnest, to the other. You’re 100 percent sure that they’re both really in love, right?”

Seungkwan turned to Seokmin. “Seungcheol really is, right?” Seokmin nodded. 

They turned to Soonyoung. “And you’re sure? About Jeonghan?”

Soonyoung nodded. “Yeah.” He looked down at his hands. He didn’t want to tell the others about the phone call he’d gotten last night.

_Soonyoung’s phone buzzed beside him on the floor. He was shitfaced, but it was beginning to wear off. He blinked his eyes a few times before he could focus on the screen._

Incoming call from: BITCH ASS JEONGHAN

_He grinned at the name Jeonghan had saved his number under. It only took him two tries to hit the answer button. “Hello?”_

_There was silence on the other line. Then, a sniffle. Soonyoung sat upright when he heard a choked sob ring over the speaker. “Jeonghan? Are you okay?”_

_“Why doesn’t he love me, Soonie? Why do I love him so much?”_

Jae slapped the book down on the table, grinning down at the three of them. “Alright then. Fifty bucks and I make it happen.”

Seungkwan and Seokmin dug for their wallets, but Soonyoung held out his hand. “I got it.”

They looked up in surprise. “Are you sure?” Seokmin’s eyes were wide. 

Soonyoung nodded. “Yeah, it’s worth it for them.”

“If it _works_ ,” Seungkwan mumbled. 

Jae grinned, taking Soonyoung’s money. “You have two weeks from today. If they don’t confess by then, the spell will be permanent.”

Seokmin’s jaw dropped. “That sounds… bad.”

“Oh, it’s fucking terrible, so I hope you guys are sure.” Jae sat back down. He handed the boys two scraps of paper. “Write their names down here.”

Seungkwan carefully wrote out Seungcheol’s name on the paper, while Soonyoung wrote out Jeonghan’s. They passed them back to Jae. 

“Once everyone in your household falls asleep tonight, the spell will take hold. Are you ready?”

They turned to each other. Soonyoung shrugged. “How bad could it be?” 

Jae grinned, chuckling. “So be it.” With a flick of a lighter, the two scraps of paper went up in flames in the center of the table.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go y'all

“Anyone wanna put ten dollars on who’s going to be the first person to fall down these stairs?” Jeonghan stood at the top of the staircase, a beer in his hand. “It’s gotta be BooSeokSoon, but which one?” 

Mingyu looked over Jeonghan’s shoulder. “I mean, it’s probably going to be Seokmin, but if you have any more of that beer, it might be you.”

The front door opened, Jihoon pushing it open with his foot. In his arms was a large paper bag, clinking with the telltale sound of liquor bottles. Minghao came in behind him. “Honey! We’re home!” He too had paper bags, one in each hand. 

Jeonghan and Mingyu ambled down the stairs, helping the newcomers with the bags. They gathered around the kitchen island, pulling out bottles. Jeonghan sat down his beer to examine a bottle of coconut rum. “Jesus, Jihoon. We’re in for it tonight, huh?”

Minghao plopped down a can of pineapple juice. “If we don’t get completely hammered on night one, are we even on vacation?”

Jeonghan picked up his beer. “Cheers bro, I’ll drink to that.” 

Mingyu started piling it all into the fridge. “Hey did you guys see the others out there?”

Jihoon cracked open a beer of his own. “Yeah, I saw Seokmin coming out of some sketchy-looking shop. He probably bought some crystals or some shit like that.”

Minghao pulled out a large bowl and a can opener. He set about opening the pineapple juice, struggling with crank on the opener. “Yeah they were headed this way too, but they were pretty far behind us.” 

Mingyu took the can from him with a grin. “I’ll get it.” He turned the handle, the can slipping out and falling over with a bang. He smiled, embarrassed. Jeonghan and Jihoon shared a look. 

The door flew open again, Soonyoung and the others coming in with the last of the evening sunlight. “Let’s get drunk!”

\-------------------

Seungcheol sat on his bed, glancing out the window as the sun began to set. He heard the others milling around downstairs, preparing for the party. He smiled. Everyone was having a good time, relaxing after their tough exams. These couple weeks would be exactly what they needed. He heard a soft knock at his door.

He turned around, his breath sucked from his lungs. Jeonghan stood in the doorway, bathed in the evening light. He smiled. “Coming downstairs?” 

Seungcheol nodded, patting the bed beside him. Jeonghan padded over, sitting down. Seungcheol cleared his throat. “I just wanted another minute to myself, before tonight gets crazy.” 

Jeonghan smiled. “Yeah, who knows how the night will end up.” He leaned over to bump Cheol’s shoulder. “Try to relax, you know? I know you like to take care of everyone, but,” he looked down at his hands, folded in his lap. “I want you to have fun too.”

Seungcheol chuckled. “I always have a good time, even if I do end up being the adult. I promise I’ll have some fun tonight.” 

Jeonghan smiled, looking past Cheol out the window, enjoying the view of the woods beyond. Seungcheol snuck a glance at the way the sunlight fell on his face, reflecting in his eyes. Jeonghan let his head fall, resting on Cheol’s shoulder. Seungcheol stiffened, suddenly nervous. Would Jeonghan feel how quickly his heart was racing?

Jeonghan felt Cheol stiffen beneath him. His heart sank a little. He lifted his head, trying to keep his smile from faltering. “Let’s head down there, yeah?” He stood, turning away to hide the pink on his cheeks. 

Soonyoung swung himself through the doorway, shaking Jeonghan from his embarrassment. “Let’s GOOOOO!” He pointed at Seungcheol. “You too, gramps! We’re getting started!” He ran out the door, down the hall. 

Jeonghan turned back. “You heard him.” 

Seungcheol smiled, nodding. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

They both winced at the sound of Soonyoung falling down the stairs.

Jeonghan turned to him with a grin. “I just made ten dollars.”

\-----------------------

Half an hour later, the music was up and the drinks were mixed. Minghao explained to the group that he’d met some friends at the liquor store, and that he’d invited them to come hang out too. Seungkwan wrinkled his nose in apprehension, until Jihoon clarified that they were all cute and probably pretty gay. 

Seungcheol felt a flutter of interest at the idea of meeting new people. He leaned against the staircase, watching Chan, Vernon, Wonwoo and Josh play flip cup on the living room coffee table. They cheered when Chan showed off an impressive move. He sipped a bit from his cup. It actually wasn’t so bad-tasting tonight, which was probably dangerous. He was much more likely to get wasted on a drink that tasted good. 

A knock came at the door and everyone stopped what they were doing, turning to look. Mingyu even stuck his head out from the kitchen to see. Minghao ran a hand through his hair, moving to open the door. “Hey guys! Come join us.” He swung the door open and a sizeable group of handsome young men peered in. 

The boy in front smiled widely. “Thanks man!” He handed Minghao a bottle of wine. They all filtered in, some making their way to the kitchen, others to the living room. The living room group paused their game, standing to introduce themselves. Seungcheol found himself lost in the chatter, looking over the newcomers from his spot by the stairs. The boy he’d seen first was introducing himself to Vernon. Cheol overheard his name: Aron. Another guy was shaking hands with Jihoon, his name was Baekho. Yet another incredibly handsome guy with a beautiful smile introduced himself to Wonwoo. “Dowoon!” he chirped. 

Cheol wanted to mingle but he was overwhelmed. Everyone seemed to be chatting like they’d always been friends, loosened up by the alcohol. He looked around, trying to find Jeonghan. Seungcheol peered around the wall and into the kitchen. Jeonghan was leaning against the counter, a shot in his hand. Jun held one too, and they were waiting for Jihoon to come back. The three downed their shot together, Cheol watching the way Jeonghan’s face pinched at the taste. He smiled a little, feeling his anxiety lessen. 

A large, tough-looking man with a buzzcut sidled up to Cheol. He extended his hand, face suddenly sliding into a soft grin. Cheol felt relieved. “Hi there! I’m Sungjin. You can call me Bob.”

Seungcheol returned the handshake, grinning himself. “I’m Seungcheol. Bob, huh?”

The guy laughed brightly, voice completely opposite his tough exterior. He ran a hand over his short hair. “Yeah, it’s a long story. Thanks for having us over! The guys get really tired of being cooped up.” 

Cheol nodded. “Of course, the more the merrier. Tonight’s our first night here, and my guys love to meet new people.” 

Bob leaned against the banister beside Seungcheol, looking out at the crowd. “Yeah, truth be told we don’t get out much.” He took a sip of his drink. “We all study at the university on the other side of town, that’s how we all got to know each other.” 

Seungcheol nodded, sipping his drink too. “We’re a bunch of students from downstate.” 

Bob grinned. “Yeah, I figured that much. Hadn’t seen any of you all around before.” 

“So you guys live around here?”

Bob nodded. “Yeah, we’re locals. Most of us grew up here our whole lives, some moved in from other places. It’s a fun bunch though. We’ve got some weirdos in our group for sure, but what group doesn’t?” At exactly that moment, Chan tore through the middle of the crowd, swinging his shirt like a helicopter over his head.

Seungcheol gestured in Chan’s direction. “Yeah, and he’s not even in our top 5 weirdest.”

Bob chuckled, clapping a big hand to Cheol’s shoulder. “Well, just wanted to introduce myself, I’m gonna go mingle. You have a good night, Seungcheol!” He grinned again and was off, fading into the crowd.

Cheol took another sip of his drink and decided to step out on the back porch for a breath of fresh air. He slid the door closed behind him, muffling the sounds of the music and his partying friends. He walked forward, leaning against the deck railing. He sat his drink down, fumbling for the crushed pack of cigarettes he’d shoved into his pocket. He wasn’t a smoker, just when he was drinking. He gripped the cigarette between his lips, patting his pockets for the lighter.

The door behind him slid open. He turned to look, squinting his eyes against the light from inside. At first he thought it was Jeonghan, but then the person moved closer, into the moonlight. 

“Need a light?” The man offered him a lighter in his slim palm, white in the light of the moon. He had a beautiful face: large, sharp eyes and high cheekbones, like Jeonghan, but his hair was a soft brown instead of black and he was shorter. 

Seungcheol stammered before he could nod, reaching out to take the lighter. “Thanks. Mine is, uh, somewhere.”

The boy laughed, looking up at Cheol with those huge, warm eyes. “No worries. I haven’t met you yet anyway, seems like a good enough introduction as any.”

“I’m Choi Seungcheol.” He knew he was blushing, but he hoped it was hidden in the darkness. 

The boy giggled. “How about that?” He extended his hand to shake with Cheol. “I’m Choi Minki. My friends all just call me Ren.” 

Cheol smiled, extending a slightly shaky hand in return. “Huh, what are the odds? Another Choi.”

Ren laughed. “Probably pretty high, honestly.” Cheol found he liked the sound of his laugh. His stomach churned: from the alcohol, he supposed. Definitely not because of this cute boy in front of him.

Seungcheol lit his cigarette, cradling the flame from the borrowed lighter. He sucked in a breath and handed it back, exhaling gratefully. “Ah, that’s better.”

Ren grinned, “Smoking kills, you know.” He pulled out his own crumpled pack, tapping out a cigarette and bringing it to his lips. “Unattractive habit.”

Seungcheol watched the way the lighter’s flame lit up Ren’s soft features. “Doesn’t look unattractive when you do it.” Cheol’s cheeks burned red as soon as the words slipped from his mouth. God, how much had he had already?

Ren laughed out loud, smoke puffing out in bursts. “That was a pretty good line, Choi Seungcheol.” 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “You can just call me Cheol.”

Ren took a long drag, looking up at him. He breathed out slowly. “Okay, Cheol.” He smiled softly. 

—————

Jeonghan pushed his way through the dining room. This house was already full up on dudes, even before they added ten more. He was pretty intoxicated, and his thoughts were all on Seungcheol. He hadn’t seen him since the party started, and he was missing him. He fiddled with his shirt, tucking the front into the waistband of his tight jeans. He knew this outfit always drove Seungcheol insane. Well, it drove them all insane, and he was aware. Jeonghan wasn’t always the most confident, but he felt pretty good in this. He adjusted the collar on the loose black button-up, unbuttoning one more button, just to be safe. 

He looked around the living room, eyes falling over his friends in various stages of disarray. Soonyoung was standing on the coffee table, his shirt off and seemingly wrapped around Seokmin's head. Joshua was turning the music up even louder, staggering back out into the room and tossing Jeonghan a wave when he caught his glance. Wonwoo was on the couch, some guy Jeonghan didn't recognize on his lap. 

Jeonghan made his way over to the doors leading outside, hand stopping on the handle. He could see the glow of a cigarette outside. He leaned closer, squinting his eyes. Cheol was leaning against the banister, head thrown back with laughter. Another guy leaned beside him, close. Jeonghan swallowed thickly. Too close. 

He pushed away from the window, trying to orient himself. "I just need another drink." He made his way back to the kitchen, finding Seungkwan standing by the sink. Soonyoung had wandered over too, his pants curiously soaked. 

"It's not piss!" He preemptively explained. Jeonghan's eyebrows shot up. "I swear! It's Seokmin's drink."

Seokmin appeared behind him, sure enough with an empty cup. He leaned over Soonyoung, filling it with the ladle. He grinned up at Jeonghan, eyes glassy, Soonyoung's shirt still around his head like a headband. "You're so pretty, Hani." 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "You're drunk, Minnie." He leaned forward to plant a kiss on Seokmin's nose anyway. 

A tall, slim guy walked up behind Jeonghan. "Mind if I get some more punch?" They all turned around. Jeonghan nodded, taking the guy's cup and spooning some in carefully. BooSeokSoon stood with their jaws agape.

Soonyoung pointed at him. "Jae!"

The guy looked at him dimly through his large round glasses. "Yeah?"

Seungkwan stammered. "You're the guy, from earlier!"

Seokmin blinked, dumbstruck. "Yeah, the magician!"

The guy lifted the cup to his lips, nodding his thanks to Jeonghan. He swallowed, looking between them. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

He turned and walked away, disappearing back into the crowd. Jeonghan looked at the three of them who still stood, stunned. "What the fuck was that?"

Seokmin sucked down the rest of his drink. Soonyoung blinked, uncomprehending. Jeonghan sighed, filling a shot glass with straight rum and downing it. 

\-----------------

An hour or so had passed. Seungcheol had refilled his drink twice. He brought a cup back for Ren each time too. They'd settled on one of the couches, right across from Wonwoo and Aron. They hadn't been making out when Seungcheol got up to get the last refill, but they were certainly going for it when he returned. 

Ren giggled, leaning over to murmur in Cheol's ear. "Aron needs a rebound, this is good for him."

Cheol smirked, chuckling at the blush he could see on Wonwoo's cheeks. "It's good for Wonwoo too, he's way too pent up." 

Ren smiled, bringing the cup to his lips. "How about you, Cheol? Are you pent up?"

Seungcheol choked on his drink. Ren laughed. "I guess that's my answer." 

Seungcheol thought for a moment, swirling the liquid in his cup. "I guess I am. There's someone I want to be with, but…" he trailed off. 

"But they don't feel the same?"

Cheol shrugged. "More like I'm too scared to find out. He's kind of a flirt, but then he's super private about his feelings. It's hard to tell what he really thinks."

Ren looked around the room. "I'm guessing he's one of your friends?"

Cheol nodded, taking a sip. 

Ren made a whiny sound, pouting out his lips. "I guess that means I don't have a chance with you then, huh?"

Seungcheol felt heat flash through his middle. He was drunk enough that it was becoming hard to hang onto one thought. He was sitting here beside a beautiful guy, a stranger. Someone he could start over with, start new. Was that better than history? Was that better than being in love with one of his closest friends? His closest friend… even his name was blurry at this point. His senses were full of the boy next to him. He knew he was forgetting something important, but he couldn't fight through the heat anymore. He sat his drink down on the table, turning to take the boy's face in his hands.

His lips were on Ren's before he knew what was happening. Ren's soft hand cradled his face, and he sighed softly. Seungcheol felt alive, electric. He sucked lightly on the boy’s bottom lip, running his tongue across the edge. He felt a hand wind into his hair, tugging lightly. Seungcheol sighed, enamored. His head was swimming. He blinked his eye open, just a little, just enough to see beautiful long black lashes curling across the boy’s cheek. _Jeonghan… Jeonghan… you’re so beautiful._

Seungcheol whined when the boy bit down lightly on his lower lip. He pulled back, blinking his eyes slowly. _Jeonghan’s face… no, not Jeonghan. Ren._ His mind raced. God, he was beautiful. He dove back in to connect their lips again, sliding his thumb across Ren’s smooth cheek.

Maybe this was better. He could start something here or never see this boy again. It was his choice. No stumbling confession of feelings, no painful rejection. Seungcheol felt the hand in his hair tighten again, a hot breath across his lips. This was what he needed. A new start. He moaned softly. He felt Ren giggle against his lips. This was better for everyone, right? Seungcheol could move on. _No one will get hurt this way. No one will get hurt…_

\----------------------

Jeonghan felt his throat close off, standing by the stairs. Hot tears sprang to his eyes and his heart dropped. His hands started to shake as he watched Seungcheol run his hand over a pretty boy’s face, licking sloppily at his lower lip. The boy wrenched his hand tighter into Cheol’s hair.

Jeonghan felt his stomach flip, his teeth started to chatter. _Oh god, no. Please no. Not Seungcheol._ His legs took off before his brain finished processing. He was up the stairs quickly, pausing at the top to scan the hallway. Which fucking room was his? He staggered to one, pushing the door open. Vernon yelled at him, a mess of tangled limbs under a comforter. Jeonghan heard Seungkwan’s confused voice before he slammed the door back. 

He flung open the next door, relieved to see his suitcase beside Soonyoung’s on the floor. He fell to his knees, feeling them scrape painfully against the hard denim. Tears blurred his vision now, hot and falling down his cheeks. He heard a whining sound, a choked sob. It was his own voice, straining to be held back. He tore open the suitcase, digging to the bottom. An envelope lay there, tucked beneath his clothes. He pulled it out, yanking out the paper inside. Jeonghan unfolded it, three handwritten pages. 

_My dearest Seungcheol,_

_I’ve been waiting a long time to say this, to tell you how much you mean to me. I’ve always wanted to tell you how beautiful you are, how I feel about you. I’m writing this to say how much I love y--_

Jeonghan felt the paper tear in his hands, right down the middle. He clenched them hard in his fists, his breath coming in short bursts. He couldn’t see through the tears anymore but he wrenched his hands again, moving to tear the letter into smaller pieces.

Before he could, he felt two strong arms wrap around him from behind. “Shhh, Jeonghan, stop.” The letter was pried from his fingers, his hands clenched as he closed his eyes, finally letting the tears take him over. He sobbed, feeling it rack all the way through his body. 

He felt himself be leaned back, against the closed door. He blinked his eyes open. Minghao squatted in front of him. “I’m so sorry, Hani.” He reached up, wiping the tears from Jeonghan’s cheeks. Minghao sat beside him, facing the door so Jeonghan could lean against his legs. Jeonghan wound himself around Minghao, feeling the tears soak into his jeans. Minghao stroked his hair.

“Seungcheol is a fucking idiot.” 

Jeonghan laughed in surprise. “Don’t you mean me?”

Minghao shook his head. “Nope.”

Jeonghan looked at him, wiping at his face. “How’d you know where I was?” 

“I saw you run up the stairs and then I saw Seungcheol… and I had a feeling you might be here.” He reached over, picking up half of the crumpled letter. A page fell from his hand, landing on the floor. “So this was the letter you were going to give him on this trip, huh?”

Jeonghan nodded. “Yeah. Some good it did. I was too late.”

Minghao pressed his eyes closed, imagining how hard he was going to kick Seungcheol’s ass in the morning. “I’m sorry, Han.”

Jeonghan leaned forward, lifting Minghao’s chin with his fingers. Minghao smiled softly. Jeonghan closed the distance, pressing their lips together. Minghao sighed, indulging Jeonghan for a moment, just like always. He nibbled Jeonghan’s lip, feeling him whine. He licked across the seam of Jeonghan's lips, mapping out the familiar territory. Jeonghan opened for him, sighing softly. Minghao brought his hand up, squeezing the firm column of Jeonghan’s neck once before pulling back.

Jeonghan looked up at him, eyes still swimming with tears. “Why can’t we be in love, Hao?”

Minghao chuckled, patting his cheek. “We tried that, remember? Freshman year? It didn’t work.” 

Jeonghan frowned, leaning forward for one last kiss before falling back against the door. “Yeah, I guess not.” 

Minghao shrugged. “We’re just friends, you and me. I think we’d end up killing each other if we went out again.” 

Jeonghan chuckled. “Not my fault you’re in love with that giant.”

Minghao ruffled Jeonghan’s hair. “Just like it’s not my fault you fell in love with Cheol the moment you laid eyes on him.” 

Jeonghan jabbed him with a finger. “Hey, you introduced us.” It had been the first day of classes, freshman year. Minghao introduced his high school friend Jeonghan to his dorm-mate, the pouty-lipped math major from out of state. Jeonghan introduced Minghao to the six-foot-tall walking disaster he’d been assigned to room with, Mingyu. Even though Jeonghan and Minghao tried to make a romance happen that year, they couldn’t. They both knew they weren’t the one the other wanted. That doesn’t mean they didn’t fall into each other’s bed from time to time, but it would never work. And still, they both desperately wished that somehow it could.

Jeonghan sighed. “I wish it was you. You’re significantly less of a dumbass.” 

Minghao grinned. “Thanks. I try.” He gathered up the pieces of the torn letter. It was still readable, if you knew what order it was in and you taped the pages together. “I’ll hold onto this.”

Jeonghan furrowed his brow. “Why? To show Mingyu and laugh at me?”

Minghao rolled his eyes. “Of course not. But now that you’ve given me the idea…”

Jeonghan reached to snatch it away but Minghao held it above his head. Curse his stupid long arms. He grinned. “No, really. You might want it back one day.”

Jeonghan let his arm drop. He sank back against the door. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’ve missed my chance.”

Minghao felt a lump in his throat. The desolation on Jeonghan’s face was something he hadn’t seen before. He really, truly believed it was over. He swallowed heavily, leaning forward and pressing a firm kiss to Jeonghan’s cheek. He felt a tear spill over, the salty taste flooding his mouth. He whispered against the warm skin. “I’m so sorry, Hani. Don’t give up.”

\----------------------

The night wound to a close. Minghao dragged Jeonghan back downstairs for another shot. He purposefully steered him away from the living room, directing him straight to the counter top. The night got later and later and people started dropping like flies. Joshua was asleep sitting up, snoring on the couch. Bob was gathering up his crew, urging them toward the door. As the newcomers made their exit, Ren turned back, his hand planted in the center of Seungcheol’s chest. “I put my number in your phone while you were up getting a drink.” He stood on his tiptoes to plant one last kiss to Cheol’s lips. “Please, use it.” 

Seungcheol grinned, stupidly drunk now. “Of course I will. Get home safe, okay?”

Ren smiled, winking as he walked out the door. 

Seungcheol spun around, landing face-to-face with Wonwoo. He was wearing a deep scowl, holding a sleeping Joshua in his arms. “You are a stupid man, Choi Seungcheol.” Wonwoo turned, walking upstairs. He shrugged, he was too drunk to think about it now.

After Seungcheol was in his room with the door shut, Minghao tugged Jeonghan out of the kitchen. “Alright, Angel-bitch.” He slurred out his favorite nickname for Jeonghan. “Time for bed.”

Jeonghan looked up at him, giggling. “Can I sleep in your room?”

Minghao tugged him up the last few stairs. “No, you’re bunking with Soonyoung.”

Jeonghan gagged, Minghao paused. False alarm. He kept moving. 

He flung upon the door, carrying Jeonghan to the bed. He flopped him down, unceremoniously tugging his jeans from his legs. “Why do you have to wear such tight shit when you get this drunk?”

Jeonghan sat up, making it that much harder to de-pants him. “You gave me those last two shots, Hao.”

“Yeah, and what a moron I am.” He balled up the jeans and yote them into Jeonghan’s suitcase. “Where are your fucking pajamas?”

Jeonghan hiccupped, pointing at the dresser he’d half-assed unpacked into earlier. “Top drawer.”

Minghao pulled out a pair of grey sweats, winging them at the boy on the bed. Jeonghan fell back, whining. “Help meeeee.”

Minghao took a deep breath, counting to ten. “God damnit.” He leaned over, putting Jeonghan’s helpless legs into his pants. “You owe me for this.”

Jeonghan giggled. “I’ll suck your dick right now, pull it out.” 

Minghao shook his head. “Not a chance.” He reached up, unbuttoning Jeonghan’s dress shirt. “What is this thing, a triple XL? Do you own any clothes that fit you like normal?” He rolled him over, tugging it off of him and yeeting it, too, into the suitcase. 

Soonyoung appeared in the doorway. “Oh, hi.”

Minghao looked up, shoving Jeonghan into a not-face-down position. “Oh, hey. I’m just putting your stupid drunk roommate into his pajamas.”

Soonyoung tugged off his shirt, rifling through his bag for a sleep shirt. “You’re nicer to him than I am, I’d just let him sleep in those.” He pulled on his pajama bottoms too. He looked up at Minghao. “I’m guessing…”

Minghao nodded. “Yeah, he saw.” 

Soonyoung felt his face grow red again. He’d been so angry when he’d seen Seungcheol on the couch, making out with a stranger. He’d tried to find Jeonghan, tried to keep him away, but he couldn’t. “I’m gonna kick his stupid ass in the morning.”

Minghao walked over, ruffling Soonyoung’s hair. “Yeah, if there’s anything left after I get done with him.” He paused in the doorway, heading to his own room. “Take care of him, alright? He had a rough night. Don’t let him throw up and die.”

Soonyoung nodded. Minghao flipped off the light, pulling the door closed. Soonyoung looked at his friend in the dark. He felt tears prick his eyes.

He wandered around to his side of the bed, pulling the covers up over them both. 

“Soonie?” A weak sound, followed by a sniffle.

He leaned down, pulling Jeonghan into his arms. “I’m here.” 

It felt like a dam had broken. Jeonghan sobbed, his arms wrapped tightly around Soonyoung’s middle. Soonyoung rubbed soft circles into the bare skin of Jeonghan’s back. “I’m so sorry, bunny. We’ll fix this.” He sobbed for a long while, but slowly they drifted further apart. Sleep eventually took him, and he was quiet. The whole house was quiet then, with tiny breaths and muffled snores. Everyone was asleep, and darkness blanketed the house. Soonyoung listened to Jeonghan’s soft breaths for a little longer, before sleep came for him, too.

\---------------------------

Jeonghan woke up flat on his back. _Where the fuck am I?_ He smacked his lips together, appalled by how disgusting and dry his mouth was. He was so sweaty, and his head swam. _Oh, right. I’m at the vacation house._ Memories from last night started to creep in. He shook his head.

He realized dimly that there was a heavy weight on his chest. His skin felt sticky and hot. He tried to move but he couldn’t, something was on him. _Soonyoung?_

He blinked his eyes open, blinded by the light that was spilling into the room. A pair of eyes looked down at him. He blinked again, confused. Jeonghan forced his other eye open, straining hard against the light. A small, round face hovered above him. It was framed with shocks of fluffy, bleached blonde hair. He blinked again, more rapidly this time. There was a young child, sitting on his chest. 

He gasped, sitting upright. “What the fuck?!” The kid tumbled down, resting on Jeonghan’s knees. He couldn’t have been more than three, four years old? He blinked up at Jeonghan with no apprehension. Jeonghan panted, shocked. “Who are you?”

Jeonghan looked beside him, where Soonyoung had slept. The covers were messy and he was gone. He looked back to the… kid? He looked at him more closely. He looked exactly like Soonyoung, only younger. Way younger. He had the same huge cheeks, the same eyes. His hair was even the same. He looked closer at the shirt the child had on. Sure enough, that was Soonyoung’s sleep shirt, only… smaller. Way, way smaller. 

“I’m dreaming, right? That’s it. I’m still drunk.”

The kid smiled, giggling, and shifted, moving to kneel on Jeonghan’s lap. One of his knees came down directly onto Jeonghan’s balls, smashing them into his thigh. “FUCKING CHRIST,” he howled, lifting the kid by the armpits. He stared into the child’s eyes, breathing raggedly. “Okay, not a dream.” 

The kid grinned again, laughing. “Hani so funny!”

Jeonghan paused. “You know my name?” The kid blinked at him. “What’s your name?”

He giggled again, his voice soft and high-pitched. “Soonyoungie!” 

Jeonghan felt hot panic rise up his spine. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “Oh god, oh no.”

He sat the child back down where Soonyoung had once laid, and ran to the door. He flung it open, looking both ways down the hallway (and then running back to place Tiny Soonyoung on the floor so that he didn’t fall off and crack his skull). 

He swept a hand through his sweaty hair, hand shaking as he turned the knob to Vernon and Wonwoo’s room. He flung the door open, moving quickly to the bed. Two small lumps lay beneath the covers. “Oh you have to be fucking kidding me.” He yanked the covers back, revealing two more toddlers, both wearing shrunken versions of his friends’ clothes. “No way.” He burst back out the door, running past Tiny Soonyoung who was following him down the hallway. 

He turned the knob to Minghao’s room, surely his oldest friend was a grown man, right? He tore back the comforter. A small, tan child with a black mullet lay there, sucking his thumb. He wore Minghao’s favorite pajama shirt, a black Rolling Stones tee. There’s no doubt. Beside him, on the other side, there was a slightly larger kid. “Mingyu,” Jeonghan whispered. He was still probably four years old, wearing Mingyu’s stupid floppy haircut. 

Jeonghan made his way down the hallway, slowed significantly by the fact that Soonyoung had attached himself to Jeonghan’s leg, arms and legs wrapped around him like he was a carnival ride. “Giddyup Hani!” Vernon tottered behind him, trying to attach to the other leg.

Jeonghan went from room to room, opening doors. “An even smaller Jihoon, baby Chan…” He held onto the next doorknob, hoping. He opened it to see a very small Joshua on the other side, out of bed and dragging a blanket behind him. He looked past him into the room, and sure enough a tiny Junhui was making his way off the mattress too. “This can’t be happening.” 

The next door opened before he reached it, a very tiny version of Seokmin peeking out the crack in the door. He cooed loudly when he saw Jeonghan, swinging the door open. It knocked down the little Seungkwan behind it, who then started to cry. 

They were all laughing, running around, or crying. Someone was climbing up his back, nearly yanking down his sweatpants. Jeonghan grabbed his waistband with one hand, trying to shuffle forward. He slid a hand through his hair, yanking hard. “No way, no way they’re all children? This can’t be happening.” He looked up. There was one more door. “Please, please…”

He dove for the handle, but it disappeared before he could touch it.

\--------------------------

Seungcheol blinked in amazement at what he saw. Jeonghan’s eyes were huge, looking up at him from where he was bent over in the doorway. There was a small child attached to each of his legs, and what looked like a very little Seokmin riding on his back, arms looped around Jeonghan’s neck. Jeonghan was breathing hard, sweat running over his forehead. The relief on his face when he saw a fully grown Seungcheol was immense. “Oh, thank god, Cheol.” He braced himself on the doorframe, breathing hard. 

He looked up at Seungcheol again, panicked. “They’re all toddlers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this all makes sense, I've got the flu and I figured writing this with a fever is a good idea
> 
> p.s. please don't be mad at cheol! It's not his fault, I promise it'll be explained in future chapters. No bad guys here!


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